The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital has granted a request for an accelerated hearing of the suit seeking to bar Governor Godwin Obaseki from participating in the governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State.
The order followed a suit filed by one of the governorship aspirants in the party, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, who said he would not step down for the incumbent governor.
The primary election is scheduled for Thursday, June 25, to choose the PDP flag bearer for the governorship election in September.
In seeking the interim request to stop Governor Obaseki, Mr Ogbeide-Ihama argued that only those who purchased the forms during the stipulated time should be allowed to take part in the primary election.
Before adjourning the matter until Wednesday for hearing of the summon, Justice Emmanuel Obile ordered that the parties in the suit should be served through substituted means in two national dailies.
The defendants in the suit included PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, the party, and Governor Obaseki.
Also listed as defendants were five members of the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Following his defection to the party from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the PDP had granted Governor Obaseki a waiver to contest for an elective office on its platform.
The governor was screened on Sunday by a five-man committee led by Kingsley Chinda with Boyele Debekeme as the secretary.
